Denmark builds $15M border fence to keep out German wild boars

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Denmark isbuilding a massivefence that stretches across its southern border with Germany in the fight againstwild boars.

The Danish governmentsay those wild boars could carry the African swine fever virus, which would be detrimental to Denmark's lucrative pork industry. While thedisease is harmless to humans, it is deadly to pigs.

But the fence has its critics.

"A lot of people are against it," freelance journalist Martin Sorensen toldAs It Happenshost Carol Off.

"They say it's purely for symbolic reasons that it's not going to help anything to keep the wild boars out."

The nearly 70-kilometre fencecomes with a $15-million price tag. Since it will coverthe only land border with Germany, the government will still need to keep some sections open for traffic and transporting goods.

Denmark doesn't have an indigenous wild boar population, so any wild boars that are in Denmark are coming in fromGermany and even one sick boar could cause harm.

"The concern is that if just one boar comes across the border with this disease our exports outside the EU of pork products is going to hit rock bottom," Sorensen said. "It's been spreading quite rapidly from Eastern Europe."

No cases in Germany

Sorensen says that there are currently no cases of African swine fever in Germany but the disease has been found in Belgium.

He adds that the disease can be transmitted through food products, which islikely how itreached Belgium. For example, Sorensen suggests aboar may have eaten an infectedpiece of meat that was discarded by a truckdriver.

The mandatory entry ways through the fenceand waterwaysalso poseproblems, because wild boars can swim.

"We don't know how wild boar are going to react once they meet the fence," Sorensen said.

"Why wouldn't it just walk along the fence until it reaches one of these holes? And then it would be able to walk across the borderor even swim,'" Sorensen said.

Another concernisthe unintended effects the fence will have on other wildlife.

"They are putting in small holes for small rodents. Deer will be able to jump across," Sorensen said. "So they're trying to make sure that other animals can pass freely."

Anti-immigrant rhetoric

Sorensen says the symbol of the fence has also drummed up anti-immigrant rhetoric. The fence was backed by votes from the right-wing Danish People's Party.

"Some senior members of that party in parliament, they picked up on this, and said this would be like a first step to put up an actual barrier against humans as well," Sorensen said.

"Even some of the farmers who are supporting the fence say, 'We really support the fence but not for those reasons. We only support it for animal welfare.'"

Despite questions about the feasibility of thefence and concerns over the message it sends, Sorensensays the government is standing behindthe project.

"They say if this is what can save I believe it's a $2-billion export outside of the EU by that comparison it's a small amount," Sorensen said. "It's worth it."

Written by John McGill. Produced by Sarah Jackson.